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"And you pay it to him with your body?"
Juliette nodded "It’s the only currency he accepts"
"What do you owe hisley asked
Juliette took a step forward and let her toes touch the water The tide ebbed around her ankles and slid back into the sea
"My family has alorked for his family and his farandparents, randparents, my motherour families are intimately intertwined Maman was a housekeeper for Gérard’s father And more"
"They were lovers"
"Of course I say of course, but you haven’t seen ine," Kingsley said, ad Juliette
"Gérard was appointed ambassador to Haiti when he was only thirty-three or thirty-four But it’s an old fareat power That story"
Kingsley knew that story well
"Gérard has an understanding with his wife They own coether, properties Better to stay married and live apart than divide the assets"
"Very practical," Kingsley said "Very French"
"It is," Juliette said with the s up in his house? Nothing" She crossed her ared her shoulders "He was kind but distant with irls four years older than I a the way"
"Maed," Juliette said "All her life she was a little unstable Es But she was sood care of s she said But when I was thirteen"
She paused The pause scared Kingsley enough that he said, "You don’t have to tell me"
"I want to tell you I want you to know When I was thirteen, Maed breath "She went quiet She ithdrawn, and then in a flash, angry She grew paranoid and scared She heard things, voices And she started hurting herself I walked into the kitchen one day and found her bleeding from both arms"
"Suicide attempt?"
"No, she said she saw snakes under her skin and had to cut them free"
Juliette shuddered and crossed her arsley wanted to hold her and comfort her He didn’t deserve to hear this story, so personal and painful
"The doctor said schizophrenia And Maman must never be left alone She couldn’t work anymore, of course I tried to watch her on my own, I did But it was too much for me"
"You were only a child"